Inadvertent
by TouchPen
Summary: A shocking murder reopens an unsolved case gone cold. No one knows who did it, and even the killer himself doesn't know what he did. To solve it, Lui and Ring must gather everything relevant to unravel the truth. "There is one eyewitness... but she refuses to speak. Why is that so?"
1. Twist of injustice

_**Chapter One**_

_Twist of injustice  
_

* * *

He never liked to recollect about that day in the snow.

It was almost like a forbidden taboo; the bristles of discomfort and fear would climb up his skin whenever his thoughts would go astray. Not that he would admit it—he had thick, oversized clothing to hide the open wound. It was not a physical one, but one that remained in his soul. It hurt.

He hated the snow, simple as that.

Of all people that they could've used, he had to be the one chosen as the punching bag. It wasn't even fair. What had he done wrong to deserve it? He wanted so badly to take a random kitchen knife and slash red lines onto them, to scream his hatred and rip their damn confidence from them.

But he was a considerate person. He always smiled with the hope that someone would return the happiness to him one day. Surely there was someone out there who could understand him and read him like an open book?

I know I'm guarded and very sensitive, he thought. I know how much I want the line between me and others to be kept firm. He thought that that itself was a form of selfishness.

_I am irrational when I speak but I want others to see why I don't accept their reasoning, that their viewpoint is clearly flawed._

_I am violent but I want others to know that I've been holding it in for so long, that I just couldn't take it anymore and it burst._

_I am selfish but I want others to understand me, to like me for who I am instead of focusing on my weaknesses._

What kind of a despicable fool was he? He didn't know anymore. He had spent so much time trying to comprehend his own self that the line separating here and there had been blurred, faded without his notice.

Why did this sort of thing happen to him? It wasn't even fair. There seemed to be no justice for him.

Just like in the day of falling snow.

A smile stretched on his lips and he laughed bitterly. He would have to keep this up till he found someone as twisted as he was.

* * *

**Author's note: **I intended it to be short. It would be hard to read a gigantic mass of words in one sitting x_x I think its easier to make an impact on the audience if a clear message is conveyed.

What do you think happened during the day of snow? What do you think happened to make him that way?

I'll leave it to you to imagine.

~Jelly-O


	2. The worst kind of curiosity

_**Chapter Two**_

_The worst kind of curiosity  
_

* * *

She didn't mean to do it. She was never the type to deal with that sort of situation.

_Hey, what would you do if your favorite person decided to beat up someone? If you were a part of his group, would you still follow his orders?_

Well, it was obvious that he was planning something, but she never expected him to stoop so low as to bully some random kid on the street. The respect and admiration for him suddenly… vanished, or dissipated. Her favorite person wasn't such a nice person anymore.

So she threw a pie in his face and ran.

It was hilarious to watch the cream slop down his face with the peaches, but that too came with a bitter aftertaste. She couldn't sleep that night. The ceiling was almost like a crystal ball used for fortune telling—would he try to hunt her down and hit her just like the poor little boy back then?

She was afraid to go outdoors the following morning too. Luckily, the cold seasonal winds were blowing in and her parents let her stay inside without question. She was so relieved she thought she could just float high up into heaven.

The little pile of red maple leaves brought about her worry though. It was near the bare oak tree and frayed by thinning brown bushes, so nobody noticed it in particular. She had to tilt her head a bit and squint from the window to see it. It didn't seem that all important anymore when she stared at it for the second time. Besides, what was so important about a mountain of leaves anyway? The girl told no one.

But she was still worried, almost frightened.

Was that a pale hand sticking out under it?

* * *

A fellow neighbor who lived three houses away had a completely different opinion.

The girl thought the size of the pile just across her doorstep was ridiculous. Who on earth would want to keep such a thing anyways? She simply would not approve of the change in the landscape.

The cold glass window prevented her curious mind from wandering. How could anyone not see the gigantic pile sticking out like a sore thumb on the sidewalk? Shouldn't the road sweepers be cleaning it up by now, or finished clearing it at least?

The ugly thing, comprising of probably a hundred or so dried maple leaves, towered a foot taller than her. She wasn't very tall in the first place, but that was how she noticed the small irrelevant things of everyday life. She thought it was out of place, like a pair of flip-flops in the working office Daddy worked at.

She would not sit still and let the stupid thing lie undiscovered for the whole of autumn.

"_I'm going for a walk. Don't worry, papa! I'll just be across the street, near that grandpa oak tree."_

The freezing wind gave her an unenthusiastic greeting and whipped her black hair and scarf around as it went. She ignored the breeze with a small cough and ran to the pile of wonder, crunching scattered leaves under the sole of her rubber boots.

Tall as always, she thought. She looked it up and down and found nothing significant. That was till she decided to walk around it.

Oh look, a hand. Maybe someone was playing hide-and-seek? She giggled at the thought.

But wait… the hand was deathly pale, almost white even. The flesh under the nails was discolored and it was chilling and crusty to touch. Her neck hairs stood on end as she very gently nudged the hand with her pink boot. When it didn't respond or twitch, her stomach began to lurch as a warning for her to get away.

Speaking of which, what was that awful stench? A hand flew to her nose in realization.

Her hand trembled as she brought it closer to the pile. She was protected with warm wool gloves and all, but the pointy leaves seemed to spike dangerously in her direction to keep her at bay. It was as if nature was hiding something that should have probably gone unseen.

But she didn't regret anything for coming out here. Her curiosity burned stronger than any of her other emotions.

What was it? She felt the static go off on her neck again. It stung a bit. Upon impulse, she kicked off a good amount of leaves with a swift kick.

That day, the usually peaceful neighborhood was rudely shaken by her horrified shriek.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Now, let the deaths begin...

On the bright side, Lui and Ring will be appearing in the next chapter. What roles do they play, I wonder? Oh, and I love cream pies!

Thanks for reviewing, **Ten-Faced**! I'm glad this story caught your interest :3

~Jelly-O


	3. Poor ones on the streets

_**File 03**_

_Poor ones on the streets  
_

* * *

The details were driving him mad.

Agent Lui Hibiki let out a low growl and put down the file as the small printed words swam across his vision. The stillness and the serenity of the night didn't seem to help him absorb the information and it was infuriating as well as frustrating. How many cups of coffee he had already downed, he'd long lost count several hours ago.

The little boy didn't even get a chance, the poor thing. Lui shook his head as he scanned the most recent photo of Ryuto Amemiya once more. Dated just weeks old, he was grinning cheekily beside his huge shaggy dog and had pure joy in his emerald eyes to match his tea green hair. Ryuto didn't deserve all this, if only he knew what would happen to him days later…

Justice would surely be done for the pitiful child.

It sounded absolutely ludicrous and comical, but the body was found under a random pile of leaves, just a few feet away from the homes of unsuspecting citizens. Who in their right mind would murder a child and do that? It was extremely stupid, but…

Nothing, there were no tracks or traces of the culprit at all, as if the body had just been placed there using telekinesis and covered up by Mother Nature. Not a clue was left behind. It was extremely aggravating. Who could've done this - a psychic person, perhaps?

Lui had made a tiny progress after the body had been examined and he was quite proud of it, considering the lack of leads. Ryuto Amemiya hadn't been killed by any weapon whatsoever – he was practically unscathed and was even picturesque, like a little sleeping saint. According to close examinations, the boy had gone missing a few days earlier after walking outside to collect the newspaper for his folks, and one thing was missing.

Ryuto had asthma and his inhaler was nowhere to be found. The possibility of him dying without it was high as he was alarmingly weak compared to most kids. Though it didn't seem obvious at first glance, there was a long red line across the back of his neck and a mark on his throat. Furthermore, the parents had claimed that the inhaler was worn on a chain to prevent it from going missing in an emergency.

_Someone had probably snatched it and left him to die._

It was very subtle, but the death of the boy was undeniably cruel.

Other than that little clue, nothing else came up other than tips from helpful neighbors about the disappearance. Lui would have one hell of a time solving this one.

But he, Lui Hibiki, would not lose. He had closed cold cases before, and this one wouldn't be any more difficult… Or would it?

"Hey, how come you're still here?"

…_Stupid bitch._

Lui composed himself and pointed to the door. "Ring, get the hell out of my office and go flirt with someone else."

Ring Suzune put a finger to her strawberry pink lips and giggled. "Oh, don't be so grouchy. I only came to help you out." She sashayed further into the room and tapped on his shoulder. The scent of her rose (or whatever it was) perfume was a huge distraction and halted his calculations.

"Ha, that's hilarious. Now get out," He grumbled through gritted teeth.

"I won't!" Stubbornly, she sat on his desk and slammed her hand on it. "Do you even realize what time it is? You won't get a bonus even if you work till three in the morning for the entire year." Ring crossed her legs and continued to stare at him.

_It's only half past midnight, dammit._

Lui easily ignored her tight skirt and slender, unblemished legs. If anything, he would be the only person who remained a virgin after being talked to by the overly-friendly woman. His colleague annoyed him more than aroused him. He had plenty of work to do than pay attention to the wannabe slut.

Just a few inches away from his crusty fingers were curly ringlets of her pale blue hair, shining in the light. It was Ring's personal trademark and she was damn proud of it. To her thighs it brushed, permed here and there to have waves and coils. Lui often wondered why and how women had the time for all that hairdo nonsense. He'd never had a fancy hairdo before.

The silent battle continued and he was itching to fidget under the unwavering gaze of two sapphire eyes boring holes into his head. "Just get out. I've got plenty to do."

Lui didn't look up, but he could imagine her shaking her head and giving him the finger. "Tell you what," she said flatly. "Let's get out of here and I'll treat you to doughnuts just this once, then I won't bother you for the rest of the case."

"And why the hell should I listen to you?"

"Because…" Ring's voice was rising in volume. "I'm a woman and I know what's good for you. Before I slap the lights out of you, let's go get a quick snack and leave this for the next day. You don't seem to be making any progress anyways."

She had a point. Lui sighed in defeat. "Are you that anxious?"

"Well, duh." She produced a ring of silver keys and dangled them noisily in front of his face. "They gave me the keys. I've been waiting for like, five hours and I almost locked you up inside. Just how long do you want to drive yourself nuts over a file?"

"Alright, fine. You sound like my mother." Lui stood up and heard his back crack as he stretched. "It feels as if I have a maid here," he joked as he watched Ring tidy up his papers. She was awfully fast for a person who stayed behind to wait for him.

"You owe me ten bucks for this."

_Well, damn._

* * *

Ring had failed to keep her word.

She apparently took his ten dollar debt seriously, very seriously. If that weren't the case, why would he be sitting in some random café with her eating breakfast?

_Women are so spiteful._

Lui opened his mouth to protest, but Ring shut him up with a plate of bacon and eggs. "I don't want you hurling profanities at me, not in public," she hissed, knocking him with her heel under the table. "Why do you always have to be such a killjoy?"

"I fail to see how having breakfast with me is any fun."

Ring groaned and slapped her forehead. "There you go again! You really ought to loosen up instead of being so strict and sarcastic. You won't be able to get married like this." Her lips briefly curled into an arrogant smirk as she sipped her black coffee.

"They say women love serious men, especially the muscular ones," Lui countered. "And what is that supposed to mean? It's not like I'm gonna marry you or anything. Ow!" He made a small noise as the sharp point of her shoe rammed into his leg.

Women – the most interesting thing about them was that they were easily offended. Ring would be an excellent example. He held back a laugh as she brooded. He wasn't entirely sure whether all of them acted like this, but Ring was definitely still in her little college mindset. How else would she be so naïve?

He found the perfect distraction. "So, have you found anything to help me with? You did say that you wanted to assist me."

Ring was staring at the ceiling for a moment before she pulled out a little book from her jewel-studded bag. "I found this at the library a few days earlier. Its fiction, but the details are surprisingly similar to your case about the Ryuto kid."

He couldn't believe his ears. "Are you kidding me? Ring Suzune, you're old enough to know that fiction is the _complete opposite_of reality –"

"Quit insulting me already and read it, will you?" She shoved the book across the table into Lui's unwilling hands. "I'm not good at summarizing stuff, but it's definitely relevant. You're the top scorer in our college English class; you should've no problem with this."

Lui Hibiki found no words to argue with.

'_Fascination'… What the hell is this?_

* * *

In the middle of winter in a certain year, not a soul in the crowd paid any attention to a lone shivering man on the streets and people hastily made their ways back to their homes. No one in their right mind would want to stay out in the cold streets blanketed in white snow late into the night.

Not many took notice of the oddly-behaving blonde man who walked to and fro around the same spot of the sidewalk, mumbling incomprehensible words in endless loops. They merely assumed that he was waiting for someone and brushed him aside, unsuspecting. As cruel as it sounded, no one wanted to talk to a sloppily-dressed middle aged man who wandered the streets without a destination set before him.

By now, he was all by himself and had the entire city to wander aimlessly. He fell on his knees onto the granite pavement and hugged himself tightly, feeling the piercing cold spreading throughout his helpless body. He let out a desperate, animal-like cry and clawed at his face, sobbing.

It was the anniversary of… that day. The day in the snow, the very day God condemned him to eternal suffering. What had he done, to deserve all this?

"It's so unjust… There is nothing left in this world for me…" He wept. Hours earlier, he was an average man who went out with a proper coat and hat. Now he was the owner of a ripped coat, with nothing but his wounded hands of struggle and empty pockets to himself. What was he being punished for?

_It's so unfair that I just want to – _

"Mister, please don't be sad."

The little voice made him jump and he looked up to see the small face of a blue haired child, dressed in equally ragged clothes. The boy tilted his head in curiosity. "Hello, mister. Why are you so unhappy?"

Such innocence… It was sweet innocence that he had lost so many years ago. "I'm alright, kid. Where are your parents? Isn't it a bit late for you to be outdoors?" The boy's clothes were just a stained oversized shirt, a pair of faded shorts and a patched-up trench coat - a little bit too underdressed for the weather in his opinion.

He shrugged. "I don't have parents. I just live in this place at the end of the street." He motioned vaguely to the south and smiled at him. "Mister, why don't you take my scarf? It's so nice and warm. You look really, really cold." He tugged at the faded blue cloth wound around his neck.

…At the end of the street? Wasn't that where the orphanage was? "I-it's fine. A young boy like you should be wearing more clothes than big adults like me." Guilt was stinging his senses. He shouldn't be grieving so much – orphans were a whole lot more pitiful than he was.

The blue haired kid seemed hesitant. "O-Ok…" A little gloved hand was stretched to him a beat later. "Oh, and my name's Kaito. Let's be good friends, mister!" He couldn't help but smile as the boy beamed happily at him.

He gently shook it. "Nice to meet you too, my name is Leon. Leon Barrett."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I've edited the summary and the chapter format a little... Fanfiction is getting so much more convenient :)

Lui's personality reminds me of grouchy old Dell Honne, haha. He and Ring were quite fun to write, cos' they're like polar opposites~ Little kids are really cute too. Poor Ryuto... And kindhearted orphan Kaito too...

How does all of this link together, I wonder?

(ps. Ryuto's surname is taken from his voice provider, and Leon... a random name xD)

Thanks for reviewing, **AwesomeSaucelv8, Ten-Faced, **and **Sashy-6am**! Let's keep on the watch for more clues~

~Jelly-O


End file.
